Start Where You Are

The path to self-reliance is long and twisted. It cannot be easily traveled, nor should you expect to arrive at a specific destination.

In the 21st century, we are all tied to the rest of the world in such a complex and tangled manner that autonomy is impossible. That said, there has never been a time when it is more important for us to be able to depend entirely upon our own devices.

Whether or not you accept the doomsday scenarios, whether or not you want to be an all-out survivalist, whether or not you want to escape civilization, the fact is that we will all come face-to-face with disaster at some point. Perhaps it will be no worse than a 24-hour power outage due to a storm, but the sad truth is that most of the families in America are not prepared to survive even that long without help from the outside.

Because we never know exactly what conditions may present themselves, it behooves us to be ready for any emergency. Obviously this requires a great deal of planning, of accumulating basic supplies, of learning a variety of skills. The scope of preparedness appears overwhelming when viewed in total, but fortunately it needn't all be done at once.

Let us begin with the first step on the journey. Let us begin exactly where we are at this moment.

Step 1: Take stock. Over the next few days, make of list of provisions you already have on hand and of skills you already possess that will be useful in your quest for self-reliance. Can you start a fire? Do you have food stored? What other assets are already available to you?

By beginning with a positive approach, I believe that each of you will find that becoming more self-reliant is really just a matter of building upon what is already yours. As we go along, we'll address slightly more difficult tasks, but your assets list will serve as a reassuring reminder that you are closer than you think to freedom.